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'The Wolverine' Claws Its Way To A Win

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LOS ANGELES — "The Wolverine" slashed monsters and minions to debut atop the weekend box office.

The Fox film featuring Hugh Jackman's sixth turn as the claw-wielding superhero opened with $55 million in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Last weekend's top movie, Warner Bros.' low-budget horror "The Conjuring," slipped to second place, adding another $22.1 million to its take.

"Despicable Me 2" was in third with $16 million. The Universal animated sequel, with its cast of cute, yellow minions, has made more than $600 million worldwide since it came out four weeks ago.

"The Wolverine," which is set in Japan and features an international cast, earned another $86.1 million overseas. The film's opening-week take surpassed the $120 million it cost to make, said Chris Aronson, Fox's head of domestic distribution.

"It's a huge opening for the clawed one," he said. "It played equally well from Maine to Maui."

Another Fox film, the animated snail-racing tale "Turbo," was in fourth place with $13.3 million. Adam Sandler's "Grown Ups 2" followed with $11.5 million.

Woody Allen's latest, "Blue Jasmine," enjoyed a stellar opening of its own, though on a much smaller scale. Starring Cate Blanchett, the film opened in just six theaters but still collected $612,767.

"It's one of the biggest opening per-theater averages ever for a non-animated film," said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

Ticket sales this weekend were up almost 30 percent over the same weekend last summer, he said.

"It was a good weekend to be a moviegoer because the choices just got a lot more interesting," Dergarabedian said, noting a mix that includes animated, independent and big-budget action offerings.

"Fruitvale Station," the Sundance winner already generating Oscar buzz, expanded to theaters across the country and edged its way into the top 10, contributing to a summer box office that is up more than 10 percent over last year.

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. "The Wolverine," $55 million ($86.1 million international).

2. "The Conjuring," $22.1 million ($6.9 million international).

3. "Despicable Me 2," $16 million ($24.5 million international).

4. "Turbo," $13.3 million ($12.5 million international).

5. "Grown Ups 2," $11.5 million ($4.2 million international).

6. "Red 2," $9.4 million ($6.1 million international).

7. "Pacific Rim," $7.5 million ($14.25 million international).

8. "The Heat," $6.85 million ($3.1 million international).

9. "R.I.P.D.," $5.85 million ($3.1 million international).

10. "Fruitvale Station," $4.65 million.

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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "The Wolverine," $86.1 million.

2. "Fast & Furious 6," $25.3 million.

3. "Despicable Me 2," $24.5 million.

4. "White House Down," $19.8 million.

5. "Monsters University," $15.6 million.

6. "Pacific Rim," $14.25 million.

7. "Turbo," $12.5 million.

8. "The Conjuring," $6.9 million.

9. "Red 2," $6.1 million.

10. "World War Z," $5.6 million.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at . www.twitter.com/APSandy

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.


'Fruitvale Station' Shows Black Male Humanity (ESSAY)

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Oscar Grant did not deserve to die.

This is the central message of "Fruitvale Station," a film dramatizing the real-life case of the young unarmed black man shot in the back by a white police officer in 2009. It's a common message, often heard in film and life in general. But the way writer/director Ryan Coogler delivers this message is extraordinary.

As portrayed by Michael B. Jordan (beware of plot spoilers ahead) Grant is a great father – and a convicted felon. He loves his girlfriend – and he cheats on her. He wants to hold down a legal job – and he can't make it to work on time. He's a drug dealer who takes time to make his bed in the morning, a hardened convict and a mama's boy – a thuggish angel.

By the time the credits roll, Oscar Grant has become one of the rarest artifacts in American culture: a three-dimensional portrait of a young black male – a human being.

Which raises the question: If Grant was a real person, what about all these other young black males rendered as cardboard cutouts by our merciless culture? What other humanity are we missing?

"Everyone either made Oscar out to be a saint, depending on whatever their political agenda was, and on the other side they made him out to be this villain," Coogler said in an interview.

"Everything he had ever done wrong in his life was magnified," Coogler said. "He was just a criminal, a thug, a drug dealer, and he deserved what he got. You live that type of lifestyle, you get what you deserve. His humanity was lost."

Grant was 22 years old in the early hours of New Year's Day, returning home to Oakland with his girl and other friends. In the film, a fight starts on the train when Grant encounters an enemy from prison. Police detained Grant and his friends on the platform of the Fruitvale station.

The police are abusive; Grant and friends respond with belligerence. Grant is being held face down on the platform, unarmed and struggling, when the officer shoots him once in the back. Numerous bystanders captured the scene on video.

That's the first scene of the film, using real video shot by bystanders. Then it jumps backwards one day to fill in the blanks of an average brother, to illustrate the mundane moments with family, friends and strangers that constitute real life.

When Grant's death hit the news, what much of the public saw was a convicted drug dealer who had been released from prison three months before his death. They saw a troublemaker who police said was resisting arrest. They didn't see everything else that's in "Fruitvale Station."

"If there's one thing missing in our country, it's an acknowledgment of the broad humanity of black folks," Ta-Nehisi Coates recently wrote on his blog at TheAtlantic.com. "Racism – and anti-black racism in particular – is the belief that there's something wrong with black people."

The remedy: "Close the gap between what they see and who we really are," Coates wrote.

Asked what it felt like to close that gap, the actor Jordan said, "It felt real. It felt like I was telling a story for young African-American males who are stereotyped and judged before people get a chance to know them."

"We wanted to let people know who this guy was through the people who knew him the best," Jordan said. "Show the good, bad and the ugly. Flaws and all."

"Fruitvale Station" is not unprecedented. It's part of a recent wave of independent black films that are putting authentic black characters on more screens than ever.

This can make a difference in how black men are perceived in the real world, said black filmmaker Ava DuVernay.

"A more complex, truer, authentic, comprehensive, non-caricature view of any person, of any kind of person, helps us all to understand each other a little bit more," DuVernay said. "When you're only getting one dimension, unfortunately it does do its work, and that is mostly negative."

We have seen the complex depths of black manhood before, from actors such as Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington, or television's "The Wire," or Kanye West's music catalog. Even major studios are presenting substantial black male roles this year with "12 Years a Slave" and "Lee Daniels' The Butler." (Although the roles are still, well, a slave and a butler.)

Perhaps it's serendipity, then, that gives "Fruitvale Station" so much power: The film started trickling into theaters as the verdict was delivered in the Trayvon Martin case.

The parallels are inescapable: two young black men shot dead, both unarmed, both with checkered pasts, both accused of being responsible for their own deaths.

"Often times people can deal with certain things happening to people when they don't see them as full human beings," Coogler said. "They're not real to you, you don't know them. What makes somebody a real person is those gray areas."

What were Trayvon Martin's gray areas? All many see is black and white.

"With `Fruitvale' opening the weekend this verdict came down, it's one of these zeitgeist moments that can't be planned and can never be predicted," said DuVernay.

"In those moments, the power of film is so abundantly clear," she said. "These two lives, Oscar Grant and Trayvon Martin, really intersected in tragic and beautiful ways. One was made into a film that helps folks process and understand the tragedy of another."

The tragedy that Trayvon Martin did not deserve to die.

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Jesse Washington covers race and ethnicity for The Associated Press. He is reachable at or jwashington(at)ap.org. http://www.twitter.com/jessewashington

Conan Sings 'Get Lucky'

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In the grand tradition of BaracksDubs, comes Conan Sings. In the first edition of what is sure to be a classic series, everyone's favorite redhead rocks Daft Punk's infectious hit.

Via Tastefully Offensive

15 Movies That Make Men Look Like Animals

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July 28 marks the 35th anniversary of the release of "National Lampoon's Animal House."

Starring John Belushi, Tom Hulce, and Kevin Bacon, among others, "Animal House" focuses on fraternity life at Faber College. The beloved comedy film brought in $120.09 million during its box office run, quickly becoming a cult classic.

To celebrate, we've rounded up 15 movies that make men look like animals. Check out the list below.

Britney's Lunch Date

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Britney Spears has been dating David Lucado since February, and their relationship is seemingly still going strong.

The PDA-prone pair were spotted holding hands Saturday, when they stepped out for lunch at the Panini Cafe in Westwood, Calif. Soaking up the Los Angeles sun, Spears sported a summery ensemble that consisted of denim cutoffs, flip-flops and a black tank.

Lucado is said to be a "nice, normal guy" without any ties to showbusiness, unlike some of Spears' previous suitors (former fiance Jason Trawick is a Hollywood agent).

In May, a source told E! News of the couple, "They are happy together." The insider added, "They are having a good time and enjoying the relationship. It's more serious than most people think."

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Johnny Depp (And These Other Stars) Look SO Different Without Some Scruff

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To shave or not to shave, that is the question. And when it comes to these stars, there's not always a clean-cut answer. While we might think they clearly look better one way or another (they look sexier, brawnier, badder, etc.), it certainly isn't going to stop these boys from picking up (or putting down) the razor. The one thing they can't argue with, though, is the fact that a little facial hair can go a long way down the road to unrecognizable.

What Would Celebrities Do As 'Normal People'?

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Imagine a world where all of our celebrity counterparts were simply just like us.

They're the angst-filled teenage cashiers, the ever-praised tech geeks and the powerful CEOs.

Weird, right?

But lucky for us, some of favorite (both ironically and unironically) celebs have gone on the record and said what they would love to do.

That is, if they weren't worth millions of dollars and didn't have cameras shoved in their faces 23 hours out of the day.

We can dream.

Justin Bieber: McDonald's Employee
He would probably try to "rebel" there too:
rachel green gifs

Lady Gaga: Dead
So ... yeah:
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Jennifer Aniston: Party Planner
She would probably walk around and spellbind everyone:
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Britney Spears: History Teacher
We could definitely go back to school if it was like this:
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Danica McKellar: Math Teacher
Because, this:
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Kate Bosworth: Psychiatrist
Maybe this is her listening face:
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Rupert Grint: Ice-Cream Man
Sub ice cream cone for chicken legs:
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Ryan Reynolds: Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman
We can only hope he rides shirtless:
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Matthew McConaughey: Lawyer
Only if there are shirtless dancing men:
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Michelle Williams: Love Letter Writer
Playing Marilyn Monroe probably makes her qualified:
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Steve Buscemi: Firefighter
He might get this a lot:
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Tom Cruise: Priest
Maybe he would impart these words of wisdom:
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Angelina Jolie: Funeral Home Director
We would probably see a lot of this face:
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Former Supermarket Worker Tops The Charts

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LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Jahmene Douglas, a former supermarket worker and talent show contestant, topped the UK album charts for the first time on Sunday with "Love Never Fails", the Official Charts Company said.
Meanwhile, Swedish artist Avicii kept the top spot in the British singles chart for a second week with "Wake Me Up", which became the fastest selling single of the year a week earlier.
Douglas, 22, was a contestant on a TV talent show "The X Factor". His debut album features 10 tracks including Gospel interpretations of other artists' songs and a duet.
Douglas pushed Robin Thicke's album "Blurred Lines" into second place, while "Magna Carta Holy Grail" from U.S. rapper Jay-Z fell to third place.
In the singles chart, Avicii's continued success denied One Direction's "Best Song Ever" the top slot, depriving the boy band of what would have been their fourth number one single. The new track had to settle for number two instead.
Separately, the Official Charts Company said "Now That's What I Call Music! 85" had become the fastest selling album of 2013. (Reporting By Andrew Osborn; editing by Mike Collett-White)


Halle Berry Dresses Baby Bump In Flowy Frock

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While some celebrities are prone to decadent pregnancy cravings, Halle Berry appeared to be health-conscious as ever when she picked up a large fruit salad at Bristol Farms in West Hollywood, Calif., Saturday.

Berry, who's expecting her second child, showed her blossoming baby bump in a summery white frock.

It's been an eventful year for the "Cloud Atlas" actress so far. Berry, 46, announced her big baby news in April. And just this month, she and Olivier Martinez tied the knot.

Martinez, 47, confirmed to People that he and Berry are having a boy, telling the magazine, “My son will be an American, but I remain French.”

halle berry

'Sharknado 2' Cast Shakeup Already?

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Tara Reid's "Sharknado 2" future is up in the air.

According to TMZ, sources close to production said producers only want Ian Ziering back for the sequel. However, a rep for Syfy told The Huffington Post no official casting decisions have been made for "Sharknado 2."

In the first "Sharknado" film, Reid played Ziering's estranged wife.

"Sharknado" took the Internet by storm in early July. The Syfy original movie was set in Los Angeles and and saw sharks sucked out of the ocean and raining down on the city. Following the movie's success, Ziering and Reid both said they'd like to return for a sequel. The network quickly greenlit a sequel, "Sharknado 2," set in New York City.

“Every once in a while, there is a perfect storm -- on television. The fans are clamoring for a sequel. Or perhaps it will be a prequel," Thomas Vitale, executive vice president of programming and original movies at Syfy, said in a statement. "What we can guarantee is that 'Sharknado 2' will be lots of fun. We’ll be announcing more details very soon. But we didn’t want our fans to worry they wouldn’t get their fill of more shark fin, I mean, fun next year.”

'True Blood' Star Joins 'Parenthood'

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Jurnee Smollett-Bell is trading in Bon Temps and vampires for some quality family drama on "Parenthood."

The actress, who has also appeared on "Friday Night Lights" and "Full House," will play Heather Hall, Kristina's (Monica Potter) new campaign manager. TVLine first reported the casting. Look for Smollett-Bell's character to recur.

Smollett-Bell is currently appearing in Season 6 of "True Blood" as Nicole on HBO. Her other TV credits include "The Defenders," "Do No Harm" and "Cosby." The actress appeared on "Parenthood" showrunner's "Friday Night Lights" as Jess Merriweather.

In one of her earliest roles, Smollett-Bell played Michelle Tanner's friend Denise Frazer on "Full House."

Smollett-Bell's character is just one of many new characters on "Parenthood" Season 5. "The Office" veteran David Denman will appear as Ed, "Drop Dead Diva" alum Josh Stamberg will play Carl and "Lost" actress Sonya Walger will play Meredith.

"Parenthood" returns for Season 5 on Thursday, September 26 at 10 p.m. ET.

TV Legend Will Appear In 'Breaking Bad's' Final Season

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Charlie Rose will make a cameo in "Breaking Bad's" final season.

During a conversation with the show's creator Vince Gilligan at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens on Sunday, July 28 -- in celebration of their new "From Mr. Chips to Scarface: Walter White's Transformation in 'Breaking Bad'" exhibit -- Rose let slip that he'll appear in the penultimate episode of "Breaking Bad."

Gilligan has long had an affinity for Rose. When Vulture asked him before the start of the fifth and final season to pick a "Breaking Bad" character best suited for a reality show -- and which one -- he said, "I'm not that up on my reality television. However, I'd love to see Wendy the Meth Whore on 'Charlie Rose.'"

Story developing ...

Alex Moaba: 'The Family That Kills Together'

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Note: Do not read on if you haven't seen Season 8, Episode 5 of Showtime's "Dexter," titled "This Little Piggy."

Ah, that's more like it. With Dexter and Deb finally at peace, this episode of "Dexter" felt like it was was back in its comfort zone, which proves the week-old television maxim: If you want to pull a show out of a rut, sometimes you have to drive into a lake.

After all the sibling rivalry, near-confessions and bottoming-out, Dexter now has a partner in crime. And Deb proved herself very helpful in rescuing Dr. Vogel from the creepy toe-clutches of The Brain Surgeon. Indeed, "the family that kills together." Let's break it all down.

The episode opened with Deb and Dexter in what we should probably call an "emergency family session" with Dr. Vogel. And this exchange quickly captures the absurdity of last week's climax:

Dr. Vogel: "Debra, it seems that you've tried to kill Dexter as well as yourself."
Deb: "Well, yeah, but then I tried to save him."

Michael C. Hall was great in this scene though, sarcastically raging at Deb and using the, "But who will take care of Harrison?" argument to make his point. Fortunately, Vogel assured us that Deb has reached her rock bottom, and that it's all up hill from here. Dexter channeled the thoughts of many a viewer by replying, "I'm so f***ing happy for you."

In other family news, Masuka found out he had a daughter named Nicky from a sperm bank donation he made 20 years ago. After he DNA tested a piece of her hair, they went out to lunch to get to know each other, where she told him that her mom just passed away and we learned that she may be using him for burritos.

Meanwhile, Miami Metro is investigating a new murder case: A wealthy, well-connected man named Ed Hamilton is suspected of killing his maid and girlfriend on-the-side, Norma Rivera. But, as Captain Mathews repeatedly warns Quinn, Hamilton is a friend of Miami Metro.

Quinn and Dexter go to take his DNA, where they meet his Hamilton's creepy son, who looks suspiciously like Ed Westwick. I'm gonna go ahead and guess that he did it. Later, they learn he was spotted at the scene of the murder the night before. But the witness recants and Mathews tells Quinn to back off. Since Quinn has never been accused of being a smooth political operator, this seems like a potentially sticky situation.

There is some good news at Miami Metro, though: Janet Thorton, the girl Dexter rescued from The Brain Surgeon's lair, pulled through after being stabbed, and identified her captor as Albert "A.J." Yates. (By the way, it should be said that the writers of "Dexter" probably owe Houston Texans backup quarterback T.J. Yates an apology.)

And then, just after putting on "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by Mama Cass, Yates breaks one of Dr. Vogel's windows and kidnaps her. "Lost" fans will remember that song was used in the Season 2 premiere when we met Desmond Hume. And it has some lyrics that that struck me as thematically interesting for "Dexter."

Nobody can tell ya; There's only one song worth singin'. They may try and sell ya, 'cause it hangs them up to see someone like you.

You're gonna be knowing
the loneliest kind of lonely.
It may be rough goin',
just to do your thing's
the hardest thing to do.

Fortunately, Deb was driving by Vogel's place, feeling vulnerable and in need of a house call, so she stopped by, where she found the crime scene, and Vogel missing.

Meanwhile, we get a glimpse of what may be in store for the good doctor. Miami Metro searched Yates backyard, and found three dead bodies buried amongst his rosebushes, all with broken toes. His M.O. is even weirder than we thought: He tortures his victims by breaking their toes with pliers, then stabbs them in the chest, and buries them with their purses and left shoes on. Masuka can sense that Yates is a freak, noting, "I mean, I like feet, but this is just cray cray."

Deb shows up at the crime scene to tell Dexter that Vogel was taken, and that she wants to help Dex find Yates and save her. Finally, this is the brother-sister vigilante tag team we've been waiting for!

They spring into investigative action while Vogel is using her finely-tuned manipulation skills to stay alive. First, she tries to reason with Yates. "A.J., I think I know what this is about." (That time we cut open your brain to make you less violent.) Later, when Yates gives her a choice of a broken toe or immediate death, she turns Nurse Ratched on him, calls him his given name Albert and smacks him upside the head.

It buys her a little time, and she manages to call Dexter from the house phone, while Deb calls Elway to trace the number. They listen to her on speaker, trying to buy more time as they speed toward the house. But Yates sees the phone on speaker and freaks. By the time they arrive, both Vogel and Yates appear to be gone. They follow a blood spatter trail, and find Vogel upstairs in a kid's room with duct tape over her mouth.

But Yates is still there too, hiding under the bed with a knife. Deb doesn't see him eyeing her achilles, but Dexter does, and springs into action, stabbing him through the bed with a curtain rod spear. Even Deb is too shocked to freak out.

Vogel is relieved, and pleased that her adopted crew of serial killers is a happy family again. "I'm glad to see that the two of you have managed to find your way to each other."

"Well, the family that kills together ... ," Deb says, summing up the episode.

So they go out for a family Bay Harbor Butcher boat ride to watch Dexter dump the body. "It's beautiful out here, Dexter," Vogel says. He's brought them to his peaceful, lonely, secret place, and their messed-up family looks content in the murderous moonlight. Maybe next week they can invite the Masukas over for dinner.

What did you think of this episode of "Dexter"? Leave your thoughts and theories in the comments.

"Dexter" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.

Sydney Levin: The 'Housewives' Have Never Done This Before

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Note: Do not read on if you have not yet seen Season 5, Episode 9 of Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey," titled "On Thin Guid-Ice."

We start this week by reliving the moment when Teresa and Joe showed us that, when it comes to sobbing, we've been doing it all wrong. If you're not straight up unloading a lifetime of snotty issues into your sibling's hair, you are NOT feeling real emotion. "You broke my heart because I do love you, and I feel that you need to put your dukes down and open up and change your ways," Joe says once he's composed himself. "I don't want this to be just us," Teresa squeaks like Alvin, Simon and Theodore's long-lost sister -- you know, the one who accidentally got impregnated by a chipmunk from the other side of the tracks and had to leave home. "I love Melissa. I want it to be all of us."

Meanwhile, Melissa's getting all huffy and impatient, like she has somewhere really important to go. Because I'm newly engaged, Facebook serves me 300 marriage-y ads a day (in case I forget, I guess). Recently, it told me that Mrs. Gorga would be hosting a free wedding expo at the Meadowlands in Secaucus, New Jersey. There is a photo of her drinking a milkshake when you go to the page to not buy tickets, because it is $0.00. Melis, let's call a spade a spade: You have nowhere important to go. Anyway, she's busy recounting Teresa's reign of terror when Dr. "My Vagina Is Italian" comes to bring her to the fourth level of hell.

Upstairs, Teresa's reminding Joe that, contrary to like, everything we've ever seen on this show, she's always been loving to Melissa. "When I talk to her, I say, 'I need to talk to you as a sister,'" Teresa says with big puppy dog-who-needs-waterproof-mascara eyes. In her interview, however, she sings a slightly different tune: "I gave her my heart from Day 1. After they got married, she rejected me."

When Melissa sits down, she doesn't hold anything back (except maybe some gas -- there could really be no other reason for her eternally-pained face, could there?). In fact, nobody does ... and the session goes so long and is so involved that producers turn it into a memory montage. They go through every rumor and every lie, and when someone makes or refutes a claim, we see a clip. Things start to get interesting when Dr. V calls Teresa a "dumb ass" for endlessly getting involved with nasties like Jan and Kim D., and when Joe forces Teresa to admit that she has done evil things.

Melissa's plan is this: Move forward and let the past remain there. "I'm willing to meet you half-way," she says when she can finally bring herself to meet Teresa's vacuous gaze. With that, Teresa sees a great opportunity for an Oprah moment, so she stands up and forces Melissa into a hug. Post-embrace, she goes for the ratings gusto and even makes herself cry a little bit, whimpering, "I love you. I'm serious," while squeezing Melissa's hand. Then Dr. V makes them hug again, probably because she's paid by the embrace, not the hour.

Then, since the last piece of this demented puzzle is probably off boning a staff member, they decide to find/bring Joe Giudice into the mix. Joe Giudice says that Joe Gorga was the aggressor, and often starts trouble because he's "insecure." Instead of allowing Joe Giudice to deflect, Dr. V bluntly asks him if he thinks his wife can't defend herself. She uses that patented "If I talk softly enough, you may not be able to tell that I'm judging you" voice that I've come to love. It's interesting how everything she says is like a therapy-flavored candy bar: sympathetic on the outside, critical at its center. Then, shockingly, a bunch of man-hugging ensues. Hot damn, Dr. V is gonna buy herself the Chanel of vajazzles after this!

Outside in nature, Rich "the Lebanese Jeff Goldblum" Wakile has his own ideas about why Dr. V has been so effective thus far. Well, actually he has two ideas: her right boob and her left. Plus, he reminds us that the part of her face that holds her eyes, nose, and mouth is very attractive, too. "My mother doesn't hug me! Can I get a hug in your bosom?" he cracks. Then, speak of the sexy devil, she's suddenly out front with them. As she hops in her car, Kathy fumes. She had hoped to work out HER issues with Teresa, but now there will be no mediator ... or at least not one with a PhD in snuggles and feelings.

It is totally nuts that she's leaving just as the Gorgas and Giudices are having a small breakthrough, but it makes perfect reality TV sense: If Dr. V actually fixed things, there would be no show next week. And if there was no show, there would be no recap, so ... good riddance! I'm basically 0 to 100 percent sure this family that enjoys a good verbal and physical assault in the afternoon will be totes fine after a single session. Freud, now might be the time to watch whatever else they play on Sunday nights. I think there's like, news on another channel, but the outfits are definitely not as fun and I don't think that stuff on CNN is as real as "Housewives."

When they all reconvene at the table, Melissa and Teresa are shiny, happy people. Then, Kathy and Teresa hash their differences out in 30 seconds. "Within hours, everything went from complete bedlam to like, kumbaya," Caroline says. "Part of me wishes Jacqueline was here, 'cause there must be something magical about Dr. V." Oh it's not magic, Caroline -- it's called Botox and an actual education.

While the gals cook a meal together (let's hope there's a poison tester on the premises), the men plus Rosie go ice fishing. Though Rich isn't in the kitchen, he's the one who stirs the pot. He asks the Joes who won the fight, and they're immediately tormenting each other all over again. If I was there, I'd have reminded Rich that he's A) really packed on the pounds, and B) quite literally on thin ice. This might not be the time or weight to start another brawl. Then he attempts to change the subject by talking about Rosie's pubic hair (you really can't make this stuff up), and it works quite well. Suddenly, they're all laughing and wondering how the gals are doing back at the mansion.

Thanks to the magical friendship power of vodka, the ladies are doing just fine. Did you ever think you'd see this day? Melissa in particular is feeling noooo pain, but I'm not convinced that everything is OK yet. Everyone knows that vodka has no loyalties -- one minute, it's making you feel all warm and loving, and the next, it's telling you that scratching someone's eyes out is a very fabulicious idea. Or perhaps it's telling you to tell Kathy that although she's quiet, she is probably a "whore. Whore. WHORE!" Kathy enjoys that about as much as Rich seems to enjoy being married to her. Ahem. (That's "not a lot" on both counts.)

Joe Giudice notes that since he thought Jacqueline and Chris were going to come up, he brought some wine they all bottled together. Teresa's actually the first to admit that she and Joe miss their old pals, but she's certainly not going to say that anywhere outside her interview. Caroline fills them in on Jacqueline's struggles with her son, and everyone grows somber. Her life is nothing they envy. "Maybe you should drop that bottle of wine over there yourself," Rich says. "You could iron things out in a heartbeat."

After a commercial, however, we learn that Jacqueline is not missing that bottle of ex-friendship flavored hooch. Since she's out to dinner without her kids, she decides to treat herself to a crate of wine ... and something in her crazy eyes hints at a bit more. Jacqueline's got an enormous amount on her plate, but it's beginning to seem obvious that she's making room for a lil' something else too. Then again, it's hard to tell where the good ol' fashioned stress + booze cocktail ends, and where mainlining Paxil begins. And since nothing complements an Italian meal and a glass of anxiety pinot grigo like discussing masturbation, Chris treats us to some information about his "first time."

Then, as if on cue, the waiter comes over with a very big, long ... pepper mill. I sure hope they enjoyed their dinner, 'cause I'm not going to be able to see pasta without getting nauseous. "Joe Gorga told me the first time he got laid was when he was nine," Chris says. Oh, look. Now I'm off all food forever. This is like the ultimate wedding diet. (Let's just make this all about me.)

Back at Loyalty Manor, Rosie forces her sloshed counterparts to play that trust game where you fall backwards into someone's arms. Had she realized that Rich was going to use it as an excuse to grab her boobs, she probably would have picked something less tactile and molest-y, like Taboo. "We're all so friggin' drunk -- it was like nothing ever happened. It felt like old times," he said by way of explanation. Next, they decide that tiny Melissa can catch Joe Giudice. Predictably, they both go down harder than Teresa's fake rack.

When Teresa asks Caroline to catch her, Caroline makes a deal: "I will do this now," she says with a grin, "if one day I get to see you and Jacqueline do it." That (no pun intended) catches Teresa way off guard, and immediately she's reduced to tears. "You wanna heal? You wanna fix? Then fix EVERYTHING," Caroline says in her interview. Hashtag agree. With that, Caroline falls back into Teresa's arms and the deal is sealed.

Meanwhile at dinner in Jersey, Chris is feeling out whether Jacqueline would reunite with Teresa. The answer is very firmly "never," but Caroline calls her bluff in her interview. She says Jacqueline doesn't miss the hurt, but definitely aches for the good times. "It's more like a lifestyle change and a lifestyle choice," Jacqueline says to her husband, and the conversation is over.

Teresa, on the other hand, is having a far more, shall we say, damp reaction to her memories of Jacqueline. She starts to sob, breaking out her chipmunk voice to remind us how much she has been hurt. Juicy Joe decides to help by launching into the most mangled version of every affirmation he has ever heard. And I quote: "You gotta step over that rock and move on to the next rock. Buildings'a gotta get destroyed to get knocked down. Friendship is the same thing." Then, when that doesn't work, he reminds her that her brother just tried to kill him and they made nice. "GET OVER IT!" Then, he starts to cry too ... potentially because Teresa has suggested another special bath, and he's just not sure he can handle seeing any of her hairlines up close again.

The speed at which these women are moving to fix things could break your neck ... or at least dislodge your extensions. Is any of this genuine, and how will they feel when their drunken promises fade into awkward hangovers? To get a little emo and quote Bright Eyes: "What is so simple in the moonlight by the morning never is." I'm pretty sure that's about a super dirty one-night stand, but since there's nothing pure about these bitches and they never call me on Monday a.m., I think it works.

"Real Housewives of New Jersey" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Creepy Or Uncanny?

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Jack Nicholson is a popular pick amongst even the most amateur impersonators. And while Quinton Kappel's Nicholson is spot on, so are the other 104 of his impressions. From Gandalf to The Joker, Kappel covers them all in the wonderful video above, which is well worth six minutes of your day.


'Teen Wolf' Star Engaged

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Sorry ladies, Tyler Posey is officially taken.

The "Teen Wolf" star is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Seana Gorlick, he confirmed to Us Weekly. Posey has been dating Gorlick since middle school.

"I've been wanting to ask her to marry me for years now and I finally did it," the 21-year-old said of his girlfriend of 10 years. "It's everything I've wanted to do. I finally feel like myself."

Posey proposed during their 12-day trip to Hawaii, popping the question on the first night.

"I didn't know if I was going to do it -- I didn't have a plan or anything," he told Us Weekly. "I was so damn nervous. I just asked her and it was the coolest thing in the world. Her reaction was the sweetest -- I can't even explain it!"

"I've known her since I was 11 and been in love with her since I was 12," Posey added of Gorlick. "I'm so inspired by her. I think she's the coolest, most raddest person ever. She's so nice and so cute."

Congrats to the happy couple!

Julianna Margulies: George Clooney Pitched Me An 'ER' Movie

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Julianna Margulies and George Clooney have discussed an "ER" reunion movie to celebrate the show's upcoming 20th birthday.

"George just reminded me the other day that we are coming up on our 20th anniversary of 'ER,'" Margulies told E! News. "We used to joke that they never gave us a wedding on that show. He said we should just do a movie and just see what the ticket receipts are ... If George is in it, I'm game ... I always feel like you should look forward. I have a hard time going backwards, but you know what? I'd do it."

On "ER," Clooney played Dr. Doug Ross and Margulies was his on-again/off-again girlfriend Nurse Carol Hathaway. Clooney left "ER" after Season 5 and Margulies followed suit, departing after Season 6's penultimate episode, which featured a surprise appearance from Clooney (below).

The two returned to "ER" in Season 15 -- the show's final season -- and it was revealed they were married, but audiences never saw the ceremony.

Margulies and Clooney had an on-screen reunion at the 2013 Golden Globes, which you can check out below.

"The Good Wife" had an "ER" reunion of sorts during its most recent fourth season. Former "ER" star Maura Tierney, who played Abby Lockhart on the series, recurred on "The Good Wife," opposite Margulies as Maddie Hayward.

"The Good Wife" Season 5 premieres Sunday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

LIVEBLOG: News On 'The Good Wife' Season 5

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"The Good Wife" star Julianna Margulies joined executive producers Robert and Michelle King at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Monday to discuss what's ahead in the show's upcoming Season 5.

Follow along with the liveblog below for scoop on Alicia's relationships with Will and Peter, her potential move from Lockhart/Gardner to Cary's new firm, and more.

WATCH: 'La Voz Kids' Crowns A Winner

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At the end of a special three-hour broadcast, Telemundo’s “La Voz Kids” crowned Cuban songstress Paola Guanche, 12, as the show’s first winner.

The Spanish-language and children’s version of the singing competition “The Voice” brought its first season to an end after 13 weeks of featuring young hopefuls and their voices. The spunky singer from Florida, who was a member of Prince Royce’s team, won the title by popular vote.

“La Voz Kids” closed out the season with performances by Ricky Martin, Mexican singer Ana Barbara and -- the newly crowned coach -- Prince Royce, who took the stage for a rendition of his latest single “Darte Un Beso.”

Paola performed “I Will Always Love You,” made famous by Whitney Houston, and received a standing ovation from the audience and the coaches after giving an impeccable rendition of a song infamously difficult to sing. (Watch The Performance Above)

Noticeably excited throughout his pupil's entire performance, Prince Royce had no choice but to continue to sing the young girl praises.

“Paola has an exceptional talent that has impressed everyone,” Royce said in a press release.“ Through this show she has demonstrated excellence in all musical genres.”

After winning the ultimate prize, the young singer closed the show with an energetic performance of Celia Cruz’s “Quimbara” -- a song she had wowed audiences with weeks before.

Raised in a family of famed Cuban musicians, Paola began singing and performing with her family from a young age. The starlet will receive a recording deal with Universal Music and $5,000 courtesy of AT&T to put toward her education.

When Bob Benson & Buffy Met Mork

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Anticipation is already high for Robin Williams' return to TV in CBS' "The Crazy Ones," a single-camera CBS comedy from "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Legal" creator David E. Kelley. The series has tapped Sarah Michelle Gellar to star as Williams' on-screen daughter, with whom he runs a high-profile ad agency that, in the pilot episode, attempts to lure in Kelly Clarkson to help on a McDonald's ad campaign that could make or break the company.

"Mad Men's" favorite mystery man James Wolk is also staying in the ad game for "The Crazy Ones," and admitted at the Television Critics Association Summer 2013 press tour that he was thrilled by all the speculation over his "Mad Men" character, Bob Benson, last season. "My favorite [theory] was immortally time traveling mad man," he laughed. "I only do ad agencies now, strictly marketing and ad agency [roles]."

Wolk admitted that he "was thirsting for" a comedy role, especially after "Mad Men" and short-lived stints on "Lone Star" and "Political Animals."

"I have done more television dramatic work and when this opportunity came about, I jumped out of my seat. My background is in theater ... that's a ton of improv, a ton of comedy. It feels like you're in a band and you're playing off each other and there's a rhythm to it," he said on the panel.

Naturally, Williams' comedic energy was both the focus of the panel and at the forefront of the pilot, and the actor admitted that there was some degree of pressure in the need to be funny at all times. "Sometimes, there's a pressure; other times, like in this room, good luck [you never know which jokes will land] ... the idea of being funny, I love it. It's great to have a steady gig after so long."

Gellar reiterated that she had actively pursued the role by "stalking" Williams and Kelley until they gave her the part, calling the role "a dream come true." She added, "To me, if you think of the top 10 comics of all time, Robin's on that list. One thing about 'Buffy' that was so wonderful ... it was funny, it was dramatic, it was scary ... Ultimately, [comedy] is really what I wanted to do." She pointed out that "if you cry on camera, people feel for you -- it's much harder to make people laugh," and she savored the challenge inherent in that.

The schedule is also a lot more manageable than her last role, playing twins on The CW's one-and-done "Ringer."

"I don't think I really thought that twin thing through. I didn't realize that there weren't actually two of me," she said with a joke. "That was not my smartest day ... [This] is such a joy. I've never had this much fun."

Executive producer/director Jason Winer pointed out that people forget Williams is a Juilliard-trained, Oscar-winning dramatic actor, and that the series isn't just relying on the comedian's shtick. "Improvisation is the icing, not the cake -- David and our staff write incredible scripts," he said.

Because of that, Kelley said, Williams "says my words perfectly and then he uses his. He's pretty much word perfect. He likes the box, he manages inside the box, and then we give him a few takes to break out of it. What you have in the end is the architecture of mainly the scripts, but you've got ad libs and the spontaneity."

Winer added, "This stuff has substance in terms of the father and the daughter relationship," as well as Williams' dynamic with the supporting characters. "I love the relationship between Robin's character and jimmy's character. There's a great bromance developing there."

"You have to establish a character that people buy into," Williams agreed. "They have to buy into my character and his relationships with everyone else. I like the idea of [the character] creating, but, at the same time, failing."

Kelley explained that the series was inspired by real-life ad executive John Montgomery, who pitched him the idea for a show set in an advertising agency many years ago. "It struck me as ripe for a television series ... I couldn't get it out of my mind [so I] went back and took a stab at writing it. It was about this iconic, crazy advertising genius and his relationship with his daughter." Kelley admitted that he had no expectation of Williams actually accepting their offer, but, "We made a phone call, Robin responded to the material and suddenly the whole project took flight ... We connected over who the character was, not just with his comedic sensibilities, but his personal flaws and professional insecurities."

Wolk and Gellar were effusive in their praise of Williams and his generosity on set, with Gellar noting, "It can be intimidating when you work with a comedian on that level -- he really wants it to work for everyone [and for] everyone to have their moment."

"Acting is a mutual sport. Working with each other is what makes it interesting," Williams noted. "Acting with these people is a joy for me. They bring such energy and love to it."

"Robin is incredibly gracious on set ... and all his stuff like, 'Don't step on my line, kid,' 'Don't cut me off' -- that's just part of the love,' Wolk joked.

While product placement is an inevitable part of network television now, Winer admitted that McDonald's plays such a major role in the pilot because the company is the largest client of Montgomery's ad agency, so Kelley was inspired by Montgomery's stories when writing the pilot. Still, Winer said, "No money has changed hands -- McDonald's did not have final approval on the script," and he was insistent that if they used the company so prominently, they should be "allowed to be irreverent about the brand."

"But if you look under your chair, there's a Happy Meal there right now," Williams quipped.

Ultimately, Winer said, using existing and recognizable brands was a way to make the world of the ad agency feel more authentic, because making up names of products ruined the reality of the show's world.

Overall, Winer said, the show "aspires to be a great workplace comedy ... It's a show about a father and a daughter that are reconnecting. Part of the ambition is to be really funny as well as surprisingly emotional and touching."

"The Crazy Ones" premieres Thursday, September 26 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

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